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Battles
B.C.: The Complete Season One
Battles B.C. looks familiar and although it pays homage to the movie "300", it’s
actually a rather insightful documentary series about some of the
world’s most momentous battles B.C. or Before Christ but for political
correctness, it should be BCE (Before Current Era). But as many of the
great generals and leaders during this time would probably agree with
me, I’m sure they would believe that politically correctness is uncalled for in this bloody
documentary of the art of war.
As opposed to the battles of today or the last
hundred years, the field of war played completely differently Before
Christ which is
showcased in this slick documentary that although is a little too
Hollywood, it will definitely bring forth more viewers to this genre. So
what’s it all about? Basically, the History Channel has used historical
facts and experts to digitally recreate these great battles that include
a variety of periods of pre B.C. countries.
The complete
Season one of Battles B.C.
contains the following episodes that range from ancient Egypt to the
Roman empire and my favourite, the Greeks with Alexander the Great.
With a true Hollywood approach, Battles B.C. is quite visual, especially
how it highlights the colours of the battle and where it mimics the
movie 300. Another interesting aspect is that the series isn’t as dry as
other documentaries and even though it’s a great history lesson, the
visuals make the whole process more appealing. It touches upon the
masterminds behind the battles quite well such as Ramses the Great or
Hannibal and even theorises the tactics they may have used. The series does use
some artistic liberty, especially with the stories linked to the Bible
such as David: Giant Slayer and is more story than fact but it does mix
together some historical evidence. Perhaps it did play like that? Even
so, the research is quite slick as are the great reincarnations of the
battles.
The video quality is presented in widescreen and at times, looks a
little grainy. The battles are perfectly executed with their larger than
life presentation and quite vibrant colours. Sound wise, the series only
supports Dolby Digital 2.0 which is a shame because some of the
battles would have sounded phenomenal through surround sound.
Considering the budget of this documentary, it would have faired better
with some better video and audio quality but overall, it is still quite
acceptable. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed this surreal documentary
experience that not only highlights the violence of the era, it’s also
justifies it to those involved.
Recommended! |
